Haverhill’s Leap Centre to move from town’s high street

A drop-in facility for education, training and skills courses is moving out of the town centre and onto an industrial estate.

The Leap Centre, run by West Suffolk College, is currently housed in Haverhill High Street.

But at the end of the month it will relocate to the MENTA Business Centre, in Hollands Road.

The move, which is due to the lease ending on the current premises, has been hailed as a blow by Sarah Howard, chair of ONE Haverhill.

Karen Chapple, ONE Haverhill’s Youth Skills Manager, has been working out of the Leap Centre to provide guidance to local young people. She will now be based in Haverhill Arts Centre instead.

Mrs Howard said: “Having Karen smack bang in the middle of the town centre has been a boom for us. It’s had a very positive effect on our project because people have been able to just walk in and speak to her.”

A main aspect of Haverhill’s community budget was to create more opportunities for young people in the town. So far, a number of apprenticeships have been put on offer through a range of local businesses and plans for a youth hub have been put forward.

It is expected that this will open towards the end of this year in the old police station and magistrates’ court in Camps Road.

Mrs Howard said: “It’s a real shame for the Leap Centre to have to leave the High Street. Having it in the centre has been fantastic.

“You will have to know that Leap is there to access it at the MENTA Centre - I hope it will continue to be successful but what they will lose is the passing trade.”

The relocation of the centre has also been criticised by Rose Hubbuck, who teaches art part time through the college.

Mrs Hubbuck said it is “an insult” to move such a reliable service from the centre of the town.

“That’s the only college office we have down in the town,” she said.

“People can walk in off the street when they feel capable of asking for help. It’s an insult to put it up on an industrial estate.

“It’s in the best part of the town on the High Street - but we are not going to be able to walk in there any more. Who is going to go up there?”

Mary Taylor, head of adult education at West Suffolk College, has said that the service the centre offers will not be affected by the move.

She said: “The lease is now up on the building and we have just taken the opportunity to relocate.

“We are already running courses up at MENTA and they work very well. We are looking forward to working more with MENTA and with the nearby local businesses.”

Elaine Simmons, coordinator at the Haverhill centre, will be stationed at the town’s job centre every Friday morning to provide additional support, Mrs Taylor added.

The Leap Centre will move on April 28. Visit leap.ac.uk for more information or email haverhill@westsuffolk.ac.uk.